Back to why I have to marry the prince , the reason I've been thrust into this cold union ,looms over like a storm cloud .
My fathers kingdom, once proud and thriving ,has been brought to the brink by the threat of war. A more powerful kingdom , renowned for it's brutal conquest and relentless soldiers, has set it's sight on my Homeland. With few allies left to turn too, my father sought the aid of the Garuth Kingdom,ruled by a formidable King with three sons, each one has renowned for their strength as they are feared for their merciless nature.
My marriage was the cost of the alliance , my father's last desperate act to save the Kingdom and it's people , sacrificing my freedom in exchange for Hope. My heart wavered between anger ,fear and small , stubborn ember of determination.
And now ,as I stand beside this prince , the man said to be heartless, I wonder what kind of life awaits me. Will he even acknowledge me as a wife ?,will I find something unexpected within the shadow of the beast.
As the prince spoke of freedom , a shiver ran down my spine , the weight of he's words don't fit to the rumours I heard , I felt strange almost unreal, and I just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more behind them.
Before I could dwell on it, my parents came forward to bid me goodbye, their faces tense with forced smile and silent worry.
To my parents ,I was supposed to marry from our kingdom and rule with whom I marry ,but now ,I'm married to a prince from far away kingdom.
May the gods protect you, my mother whispered,her voice trembling ,my father's stood a step behind ,his jaw set nodding in approval as the prince reassured them of the alliance,his words crisp and practised
The carriage was ready ,dark and ornate , waiting like an open mouth . I took one last look at my parents before stepping inside , the prince close behind . The doors closed with soft thud . And as the sight of my parents faded behind me , replaced by the blurred scenery outside the window. The carriage wheels creaked beneath me as it rolled on , carrying me towards the unknown , a fate tied to a princess and a prince with a heart said to be forged in Battle and blood .
i clenched my hands together to keep them from trembling. Deep down ,I felt the gnawing need to ask the simplest question, he's name . It was absurd that I had wed a man whose name I didn't know ,yet fear held my tongue. It clawed confidence , reminding me of every whispered warning and every story of his cold , remorseless nature .
Inside , silence wrapped around me like a suffocating blankets. I dared not look directly at him, the prince beside me who sat still and cold as carved stone, the air between us was thick with tension, words unsaid and questions unasked